diff --git a/crates/tuono/Cargo.toml b/crates/tuono/Cargo.toml
index bf71ef21..d433a94e 100644
--- a/crates/tuono/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/tuono/Cargo.toml
@@ -5,15 +5,12 @@ edition = "2021"
 authors = ["V. Ageno <valerioageno@yahoo.it>"]
 description = "Superfast React fullstack framework"
 homepage = "https://tuono.dev"
-keywords = [ "react", "typescript", "fullstack", "web", "ssr"]
+keywords = ["react", "typescript", "fullstack", "web", "ssr"]
 repository = "/~https://github.com/tuono-labs/tuono"
 readme = "../../README.md"
 license-file = "../../LICENSE.md"
 categories = ["web-programming"]
-include = [
-		"src/*.rs",
-		"Cargo.toml"
-]
+include = ["src/*.rs", "Cargo.toml"]
 
 [lib]
 name = "tuono"
@@ -29,7 +26,7 @@ serde = { version = "1.0.202", features = ["derive"] }
 watchexec-supervisor = "3.0.0"
 glob = "0.3.1"
 regex = "1.10.4"
-reqwest = {version = "0.12.4", features =["blocking", "json"]}
+reqwest = { version = "0.12.4", features = ["blocking", "json"] }
 serde_json = "1.0"
 fs_extra = "1.3.0"
 http = "1.1.0"
diff --git a/crates/tuono/src/app.rs b/crates/tuono/src/app.rs
index 1f1bef0b..be569ece 100644
--- a/crates/tuono/src/app.rs
+++ b/crates/tuono/src/app.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use std::collections::{hash_map::Entry, HashMap};
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::io::prelude::*;
 use std::io::BufReader;
+use std::path::Path;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::process::Child;
 use std::process::Command;
@@ -138,9 +139,18 @@ impl App {
     }
 
     pub fn build_react_prod(&self) {
-        Command::new(BUILD_JS_SCRIPT)
+        if !Path::new(BUILD_JS_SCRIPT).exists() {
+            eprintln!("Failed to find the build script. Please run `npm install`");
+            std::process::exit(1);
+        }
+        let output = Command::new(BUILD_JS_SCRIPT)
             .output()
             .expect("Failed to build the react source");
+        if !output.status.success() {
+            eprintln!("Failed to build the react source");
+            eprintln!("Error: {}", String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr));
+            std::process::exit(1);
+        }
     }
 
     pub fn run_rust_server(&self) -> Child {
@@ -154,6 +164,10 @@ impl App {
     }
 
     pub fn build_tuono_config(&self) -> Result<std::process::Output, std::io::Error> {
+        if !Path::new(BUILD_TUONO_CONFIG).exists() {
+            eprintln!("Failed to find the build script. Please run `npm install`");
+            std::process::exit(1);
+        }
         Command::new(BUILD_TUONO_CONFIG)
             .stdin(Stdio::piped())
             .stdout(Stdio::piped())
diff --git a/crates/tuono/src/watch.rs b/crates/tuono/src/watch.rs
index fc81e834..e2fbf489 100644
--- a/crates/tuono/src/watch.rs
+++ b/crates/tuono/src/watch.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use std::path::Path;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use watchexec_supervisor::command::{Command, Program};
 
@@ -20,6 +21,10 @@ const DEV_WATCH_BIN_SRC: &str = "node_modules/.bin/tuono-dev-watch";
 const DEV_SSR_BIN_SRC: &str = "node_modules/.bin/tuono-dev-ssr";
 
 fn watch_react_src() -> Job {
+    if !Path::new(DEV_SSR_BIN_SRC).exists() {
+        eprintln!("Failed to find script to run dev watch. Please run `npm install`");
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    }
     start_job(Arc::new(Command {
         program: Program::Exec {
             prog: DEV_WATCH_BIN_SRC.into(),
@@ -42,6 +47,10 @@ fn build_rust_src() -> Job {
 }
 
 fn build_react_ssr_src() -> Job {
+    if !Path::new(DEV_SSR_BIN_SRC).exists() {
+        eprintln!("Failed to find script to run dev ssr. Please run `npm install`");
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    }
     start_job(Arc::new(Command {
         program: Program::Exec {
             prog: DEV_SSR_BIN_SRC.into(),
diff --git a/crates/tuono/tests/cli_tests.rs b/crates/tuono/tests/cli_build.rs
similarity index 78%
rename from crates/tuono/tests/cli_tests.rs
rename to crates/tuono/tests/cli_build.rs
index 5bc194b1..54b4469b 100644
--- a/crates/tuono/tests/cli_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/tuono/tests/cli_build.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ const GET_API_FILE: &str = r"#[tuono_lib::api(GET)]";
 fn it_successfully_create_the_index_route() {
     let temp_tuono_project = TempTuonoProject::new();
 
-    temp_tuono_project.add_route("./src/routes/index.rs");
+    temp_tuono_project.add_file("./src/routes/index.rs");
 
     let mut test_tuono_build = Command::cargo_bin("tuono").unwrap();
     test_tuono_build
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ fn it_successfully_create_the_index_route() {
 fn it_successfully_create_an_api_route() {
     let temp_tuono_project = TempTuonoProject::new();
 
-    temp_tuono_project.add_api("./src/routes/api/health_check.rs", POST_API_FILE);
+    temp_tuono_project.add_file_with_content("./src/routes/api/health_check.rs", POST_API_FILE);
 
     let mut test_tuono_build = Command::cargo_bin("tuono").unwrap();
     test_tuono_build
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ fn it_successfully_create_an_api_route() {
 fn it_successfully_create_multiple_api_for_the_same_file() {
     let temp_tuono_project = TempTuonoProject::new();
 
-    temp_tuono_project.add_api(
+    temp_tuono_project.add_file_with_content(
         "./src/routes/api/health_check.rs",
         &format!("{POST_API_FILE}{GET_API_FILE}"),
     );
@@ -100,9 +100,9 @@ fn it_successfully_create_multiple_api_for_the_same_file() {
 fn it_successfully_create_catch_all_routes() {
     let temp_tuono_project = TempTuonoProject::new();
 
-    temp_tuono_project.add_route("./src/routes/[...all_routes].rs");
+    temp_tuono_project.add_file("./src/routes/[...all_routes].rs");
 
-    temp_tuono_project.add_api(
+    temp_tuono_project.add_file_with_content(
         "./src/routes/api/[...all_apis].rs",
         &format!("{POST_API_FILE}"),
     );
@@ -140,3 +140,36 @@ fn it_successfully_create_catch_all_routes() {
     assert!(temp_main_rs_content
         .contains(r#".route("/__tuono/data/*all_routes", get(dyn_catch_all_all_routes::tuono__internal__api))"#));
 }
+
+#[test]
+#[serial]
+fn it_fails_without_installed_build_config_script() {
+    TempTuonoProject::new();
+
+    let mut test_tuono_build = Command::cargo_bin("tuono").unwrap();
+    test_tuono_build
+        .arg("build")
+        .assert()
+        .failure()
+        .stderr("Failed to find the build script. Please run `npm install`\n");
+}
+
+#[test]
+#[serial]
+fn it_fails_without_installed_build_script() {
+    let temp_tuono_project = TempTuonoProject::new();
+
+    temp_tuono_project
+        .add_file_with_content("./node_modules/.bin/tuono-build-config", "#!/bin/bash");
+    Command::new("chmod")
+        .arg("+x")
+        .arg("./node_modules/.bin/tuono-build-config")
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+    let mut test_tuono_build = Command::cargo_bin("tuono").unwrap();
+    test_tuono_build
+        .arg("build")
+        .assert()
+        .failure()
+        .stderr("Failed to find the build script. Please run `npm install`\n");
+}
diff --git a/crates/tuono/tests/utils.rs b/crates/tuono/tests/utils.rs
index f46ceb52..0396669e 100644
--- a/crates/tuono/tests/utils.rs
+++ b/crates/tuono/tests/utils.rs
@@ -28,17 +28,17 @@ impl TempTuonoProject {
         self.temp_dir.path()
     }
 
-    pub fn add_route<'a>(&self, path: &'a str) {
+    pub fn add_file<'a>(&self, path: &'a str) -> File {
         let path = PathBuf::from(path);
         create_all(
             path.parent().expect("Route path does not have any parent"),
             false,
         )
         .expect("Failed to create parent route directory");
-        File::create(path).expect("Failed to create the route file");
+        File::create(path).expect("Failed to create the route file")
     }
 
-    pub fn add_api<'a>(&self, path: &'a str, content: &'a str) {
+    pub fn add_file_with_content<'a>(&self, path: &'a str, content: &'a str) {
         let path = PathBuf::from(path);
         create_all(
             path.parent().expect("Route path does not have any parent"),